Mayor Jerry P. Treñas is strongly supporting the plan of Police CSupt. Isagani Guevas in establishing a police metro force composed of elite members of the regional mobile group (RMG) to combat the rising criminalities in this southern city.

Treñas said the police metro force will operate initially in areas under the Metro Iloilo Guimaras Development Council (MIGEDC) as an immediate strike force against criminals and bukas kotse gang and akyat bahay perpetrators.

The chief city executive recently met with police station commanders to discuss incidents in their respective area of responsibility.

Treñas also exhorted policemen to coordinate closely with security guards of business establishments. Security agencies are likewise, exhorted to add to number of their security guards, review their security measures and have their guards undergo comprehensive trainings. Read more »

The city mayor here is asking closer coordination of police and security guards of business establishments to combat the rising tide of criminalities especially the operation of basag kotse gangs.

The city peace and order council (CPOC) gave greater emphasis on criminalities in the city in its conference today, November 10 and its assessment on the measures already implemented to deter petty crimes and the presence of kidnap-for-ransom personalities and holduppers operating in this southern city.

City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said he is supporting the necessary equal force policy of PNP Reg. Dir. Isagani Cuevas in fighting off the criminals as what had happened in Makati City recently.

The city mayor said the criminalities should be stopped in their nefarious and criminal activities with impunity and this can be done with equal force from the policemen. He said there must be more police visibility and the deployment of more plainclothes policemen in areas where there are more people and cars. Read more »

PAVIA, ILOILO – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has lauded the construction of the multi-billion peso Iloilo floodcontrol project starting at the mouth of two congruent rivers here as a major achievement of her administration.

The President visited the project August 13, 2009 and for the first time, saw the project accomplishment along the Anilao Bridge here and to determine what more can she give to the people here.

Department of Public Works and Highways project management officer Engr. Patrick Gatan briefed the President on the overall 86 percent accomplishment or some 5 percent ahead of schedule of completion including the Jaro floodway which is slated for completion by December 2009.

PMO Engr. Al Fruto based at the project site said that while the floodway is scheduled for completion this yearend, the whole project components will be in full operation only by July 10, 2010. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – The province and city of Iloilo remain as sentinel sites for A/H1N1 with 22 and 18 confirmed cases respectively.

This was confirmed by the Center for Health Development regional office of the Department of Health after results from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) covering the period May 18 to July 25, 2009 showed a total of 55 laboratory confirmed cases.

Out of 55 confirmed cases, 51 are Filipinos with 29 patients having history of travel outside the country while the remaining cases are close contacts of confirmed cases.

The number of cases aside from the city and province of Iloilo are 1 in Kalibo, 1 in Antique, 5 in Capiz, 10 in Roxas City, 1 in Negros Occidental, 12 in Bacolod City, 1 in Bago City and 1 in Talisay City. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – Classes will go on as scheduled to start on Monday, June 1, 2009 for School Year 2009-2010.
This was assured by the Department of Education here despite the increasing number of cases of the pandemic Type H1N1 virus currently attacking 46 countries with 12,515 cases and 91 deaths as of Monday, May 25, 2009.
DepEd is reportedly waiting for a recommendation from the Department of Health for postponement of school opening of classes. But with the absence of such recommendation, the education department is set to mobilize all schools in the country to open their classrooms as scheduled for the incoming students.
In Western Visayas, more than 500,000 students are set to go to all public schools in elementary and high schools.
Education Secretary Jesli Lapuz issued a memorandum to all regional, provincial and city divisions of schools to help in information dissemination and intensify awareness campaigns on the Type A/H1N1 virus. Read more »

FLOOD prone areas in Iloilo province are better prepared for flashfloods and other ecological disaster using the early warning and monitoring system (EWMS) granted by the Korean government to the Iloilo provincial government.

The EWS was inaugurated Friday morning at the Iloilo provincial capitol. Leading the dignitaries are Korean Ambassador Choi Joong-Kyung, Korean International Agency (KOICA) Resident Representative Kim In, Department of Science and Technology Sec. Estrella F. Alabastro and Governor Niel Tupas Sr.
Iloilo Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) deputized coordinator Jerry Bionat said the EWMS is one of the only three projects established in the country. The other systems are in Baler, Quezon which was inaugurated February 27, 2009 and in Agus Lake Lanao Watershed. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – Mayor Jerry P. Treñas issued a warning today to all tagged families living along the danger zones here, especially those along the Dungon Creek and Jaro River who registered refusal to transfer to the city relocation site in San Isidro, Jaro that their relocation award will have to be forfeited in favor of other relocates.

Showing his strong political will to relocate the endangered families, Treñas said their houses along the danger zones will have to be demolished by the city government.

The bitter lessons learned from Typhoon Frank last June 2008, is a reminder that those living along the rivers and creeks will have to go to amore safe place such as the relocation site, Treñas said.

The Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (ICUPAO) has tagged 614 families living along the Dungon Creek in Mandurriao and Jaro districts on top of more than 2,300 families living the Jaro River. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure,” must be in the mind of city mayor Jerry P. Treñas by asking constituents here to be vigilant on the swine flu outbreak currently rocking the United States and Mexico.
Treñas said that people must report at once any suspicion of an outbreak case in the barangays but reiterated that no swine flu outbreak is reported in the Philippines.
“Health and agriculture authorities reported that the country is safe from swine flu as of today, but the virus continues to spread,” Treñas said.
However, the health department in Western Visayas said that it is still safe to eat pork and other pork processed products in the region since there is no reported case of swine flu.
Dr. Jessie Glenn Alonsabe, head, Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU), said the public should be wary of eating too much pork due to its fat content. But he said the people should be vigilant because spread of virus is unstoppable. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – The first commercially viable coal-fired power plant in Western Visayas will be commissioned by the last quarter of 2010 at its site at Brgy. Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City. .

This was announced by Engr. Adrian Moncada, president of the Global Business Power Corp., proponent of the P16 billion power plant investments during the Power 101 power situationer report conducted by the Iloilo Business Club was April 17, 2009 at the Hotel del Rio here.

Moncada admitted that landfill development is currently ongoing in the 24-hectare site and actual construction will start by July or August this year. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – The city government will get some P50 million as its share in the initial partial release of P483 million Paglaum Fund and will be used for the dredging of Dungon Creek in Mandurriao district.

City mayor Jerry P. Treñas said the creek is an important waterway that absorbs surface water during the rainy season and must be rehabilitated and dredged to pave the way for surface water to pass through and go to the Iloilo River.

Rapid urbanization and the emergence of housing villages in the area have constricted the flow of water that led to flashfloods. Super typhoon Frank that occurred last June 21-22, 2009 had flooded for several days the downstream area including those along the diversion road. Read more »